Hydraulically actuated garbage disposal unit



L. A. REED 2,761,627 HYDRAULICALLY ACTUATED GARBAGE DISPOSAL UNIT Sept. 4, 1956 Filed Jan. 20, '1950 INVEN TOR. [AW/FENCE 4 1955.0

fitter-n e y United States Patent HYDRAULICALLY ACTUATED GARBAGE DISPOSAL UNIT Application January 20, 1950, Serial No. 139,623

6 Claims. (Cl. 24146) My invention relates generally to garbage disposal units of the comminuting type, and more particularly, to such a unit which is actuated by a hydraulically powered motor.

Garbage disposal units of the type first above referred to have generally employed electric motors to revolve the comminuting cutters or grinders, and have provided separate means for introducing a continuous stream of water to flush away the ground material and also to prevent overheating of the grinding means. Such units have had several disadvantages, among which are the following. First of all, any arrangement which involves the close assembly of electric apparatus and water pipes has the inherent danger that electric conductors will be short circuited due to contact with the water main, and the further danger that persons operating such apparatus may receive severe electric shocks by simultaneously contacting live conductors and the water mains.

Another disadvantage of the type of apparatus above described is that if the grinder is inadvertently started without also turning on the flushing water, or if, for some reason, the flow of water is discontinued while the grinders are running, the grinders soon become clogged and furthermore, severe overheating may result due to the fact that the coolant is not provided.

Still another disadvantage of electrically powered units of the type above described is the fact that the electric power required to operate the grinders represents an additional cost of operation of not inconsiderable magnitude.

Still further, electrically driven comminutors have the disadvantage that if the grinding apparatus is jammed, as forexample, by the introduction of metallic objects or unusually hard bones, the resulting overload may cause the driving motor to burn out or to become severely overheated.

A still further disadvantage is the fact that conventional electric motors of the type employed to drive the comminutin'g'grinders usually do not have good torque-speed characteristics and thus become inefiicient if the grinder is overloaded.

Bearing in mind the foregoing disadvantages, it is a major object of the present invention to provide a garbage disposal unit of the comminuting type in which water pressure is employed to power the prime mover.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a disposal unit in which the grinders cannot be operated unless a steady stream of flushing water is being provided.

Still another object is to provide a grinder of the class described in which reciprocal rotary cutter movement is employed, whereby to increase the life of the cutting elements.

A further object is to provide in apparatus of the class described, an overload clutch to prevent damage to the cutters in the event that they should become jammed by the introduction of metallic or other extra hard objects.

A still further object is to provide in a grinder of the class described means for shearing long fibers into relatively short lengths whereby to prevent the same from 2 clogging the drain pipes into which the ground material is flushed.

The foregoing and additional objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description,

nsideration being given likewise to the drawings in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary, semischematic perspective view of a garbage disposal unit embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational section taken on the line 22 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 in Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 55 in Figure 2.

In the drawings, I have indicated the grinder unit, per se, by the reference character 10. It will be seen from an examination of Figure 1 that the grinding unit 10 is mounted in the bottom of a conventional kitchen sink 11, above which is mounted a conventional water faucet 12. A cross-barred grating member 13 is mounted in the drain opening of the sink 11 to prevent persons from introducing their hands into the comminuting grinder 10.

Food waste to be disposed of is introduced into a comminuting chamber 38 of the grinder 10 for reduction therein, and is flushed away to a sewer connection or drain 14 by a supply of water from the faucet 12. The safety grating 13 may be made removable in order to facilitate the placing of food waste in the grinder 10.

For a detailed description of the elements comprising the grinder 10, reference should be had to Figure 2 wherein it will be seen that the structure is housed in a cylindrical casing 20 and includes a diametrically disposed stationary cutter bar 21, having downwardly projecting teeth 22 which are intermeshed with teeth 23 on a reciprocating rotary cutter bar 24. The rotary cutter bar 24 is pinned or otherwise fixed to the upper end of a reciprocating drive shaft 25, which is journaled at its upper end in an upper bearing 26 mounted in the center of a conical strainer plate 27 and at its lower end in a lower bearing 28 coaxially mounted in the lower end of the casing 20. The shaft 25 extends below the lower end of the casing 20, and a packing gland 30, of conventional design, is provided to prevent leakage around the shaft 25.

The lower edge 35 of the rotary cutter bar 24 is formed with relatively sharp cutting corners, the edge being in sliding contact with the upper conical surface of the strainer plate 27. The strainer plate 27 has a number of perforations 36 therein, which permit passage of water and ground material from the comminuting chamber 38 above the plate 27 downwardly through the casing 20 and out through the drain '14.

The rotary cutter bar 24 is driven in reciprocal motion by means hereinafter to be described in detail, and thus food waste in the comminuting chamber 38 is reduced to relatively small particles by the interaction of the teeth 22 and 23. From an examination of Figure 3, it will be seen that due to the reciprocal action of the movable cutter blades 24 in two directions, both the front edges and the rear edges of each tooth are employed to reduce the waste material. Thus, not only is the number of cutting edges twice that that would be provided by continuous rotary motion in one direction, but the backward and forward motion of the teeth past each other tends to prevent dulling of cutting edges.

Material reduced by the teeth 2223 is carried downwardly against the openings 36 by the supply of flushing water from the faucet 12, and at this point, the particles are further reduced by the aforesaid shearing action of the lower edge of the moving cutter blade 24.

Thus further reduced in size, the particles are flushed on out through the drain 14. I

Long fibrous material, such for example as corn husks, are readily reduced in the above described grinder and the tendency to clog the drain 14 is greatly reduced due to the fact that the fibers .are cut to relatively short lengths.

Turning now to a discussion of the means for driving the rotary cutter 24, reference should be made particularly to Figure 1. Here an expansible chamber, hydraulic driving motor is indicated by the reference character 40, the motive power being derived from water under pressure introduced to the motor 40 through an intake pipe 41 and discharged through an exhaust pipe 42, the exhaust being delivered to the faucet 12.

The motor 40 includes a main cylinder 43, having a reciprocating piston 44 therein, connected by a piston rod 45 to a reciprocating rack 46. A suitable four-way valve (not shown) having ports connected at opposite ends to the cylinder 43, serves to introduce the water under pressure from the intake pipe 41 to first one side and then the other of the piston 44, at the same time connecting the exhaust side of the piston 44 to the exhaust pipe 42. Four-way valve structures of .the type just described are well known in the art and no further detailed description thereof is deemed necessary for that reason. Suffice it to say that as water under pressure is introduced continuously through the intake pipe 41 and exhausted through the exhaust 42, the piston 44 reciprocates from one end to the other of the main cyl' inder 43, thus reciprocating the rack 46. Whenever the flow of flushing water is cut off by closing the faucet 12, the water in the cylinder 43 can no longer be exhausted from the exhaust side of the piston 44 and the mechanism stops.

Driving connection between the reciprocating rack 46 and the drive shaft 25 is effected by means of a drive pinion i) meshed with the rack 46, carried on the lower end of the drive shaft 25, and connected thereto through an overload clutch structure 51. The clutch 51 includes an outer casing 52 secured to the pinion 50 for rotation therewith, a stack of clutch plates 53 and 54, and a compression spring 55. The drive shaft 25 is formed with keyways, as indicated by the reference character 56, and alternate friction clutch plates 54 are provided with inwardly projecting Ts or tabs 57 engaged with the keyways 56. The other alternate friction plates 53 are provided with outwardly extending tabs 58 which are received in internal keyways 59 formed in the casing 51. The compression spring 55 forces the plates 53 and 54 into face-to-face frictional engagement, the pressure of such engagement being adjustable by means of a castellated nut 60, threaded onto the lower end of the shaft 25. A conventional cotter key 61 serves to hold the nut 6%) in any adjusted position thereof. Thus, as the rack reciprocates, the pinion 5t and drive shaft 25 are rotated back and forth. The size of the pinion 50 relative to the stroke of the rack 46 is such that each stroke rotates the cutter 24 somewhat more than 180.

Under normal conditions of use, the frictional driving torque delivered through the clutch 51 is such that no slippage occurs therein, but should a metallic object such as a kitchen utensil be inadvertently introduced into (the comminuting chamber 38 and fall between the rotary cutter 24 and the stationary cutter 21, slippage can occur in the clutch 51, thus preventing damage to the cutter mechanism.

In operating the device just described, waste food or other material to be disposed of is placed in the comminuting chamber 38 and the faucet 12 turned on. Opening of the exhaust pipe 42 by turning on the faucet '12 permits the aforesaid How of water through the motor 46, thus reciprocating the piston 44 therein to ultimately drive the rotary cutter 24 and reduce the material to relatively small particles, as previously described. Due

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to the fact that the cutting action is achieved by relatively slow, powerful strokes, the danger of material being thrown from the comminuting chamber 38 by the centrifugal action of a high-speed cutter is eliminated. Should the water pressure fail for any reason, thus terminating the flow of flushing water from the faucet 12, the operation of the grinder 10 will also be terminated due to the lack of pressure for the motor 40. Thus, there is no danger that the comminuting grinder will become clogged or overheated by operating without water.

While the unit described herein is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it will be realized by those skilled in the art that considerable modification is possible without depar-ting from the spirit of the invention. For this reason, I do not mean to be limited to the form shown and described, but rather to the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. in a disposal unit of the class described: a vertical cylindrical housing having a top opening to receive material for reduction within said housing, and a drain adjacent the lower end thereof to carry away said material reduced; a transverse barrier in said housing to form a comminuting chamber therein immediately beneath said opening, said barrier being perforated and having an upper surface of revolution; a diametrically positioned cutter member fixed in said chamber and spaced above said barrier surface, said fixed cutter member having depending spaced teeth thereon; a vertical drive shaft journaled adjacent an upper end thereof in said barrier and adjacent a lower end in said housing; a movable cutter member fixed to the upper end of said drive shaft for rotation therewith and diametrically disposed across said chamber between said barrier and fixed cutter member, said movable cutter member having at least one lower cutting edge in sliding contact with said barrier whereby to shear material passing through said barrier perforations, and having upstanding teeth thereon intermeshed with said fixed cutter teeth whereby rotation of said drive shaft cornminutes material between said fixed and movable teeth; and an expansible chamber water motor connected to a source of water under pressure to operate said motor, having driving connection with said drive shaft to rotate said movable cutter, and having a passageway positioned to discharge exhaust water from said motor into said opening for passage through said housing to flush away material reduced in said chamber.

2. In a disposal unit of the class described: a vertical cylindrical housing having a top opening to receive material for reduction within said housing and a drain adjacent the lower end thereof to carry away said material reduced; a transverse barrier in said housing to form a comminuting chamber therein immediately beneath said opening, said barrier being perforated and having an upper surface of revolution; a diametrically positioned cutter member fixed in said chamber and spaced above said barrier surface, said fixed cutter member having depending spaced teeth thereon; a vertical drive shaft journaled adjacent an upper end thereof in said barrier and adjacent a lower end in said housing; a movable cutter member fixed to the upper end of said drive shaft for rotation therewith and diametrically disposed across said chamber between said barrier and fixed cutter member, said movable cutter member having at least one lower cutting edge in sliding contact with said barrier whereby to shear material passing through said barrier perforations, and having upstanding teeth thereon intermeshed with said fixed cutter teeth whereby rotation of said drive shaft cornminutes material between said fixed and movable teeth; and an expansible chamber water motor connected to a source of water under pressure to operate said motor, having driving connection with said drive shaft to rotate said movable cutter, and an exhaust pipe extending to a point adjacent said opening and positioned and adapted to discharge exhaust Water from said motor into said opening to flush away material reduced in said chamber, said exhaust pipe having a faucet at the discharge end thereof to shut off the flow of water through said motor to stop the same.

3. In a disposal unit of the class described: a vertical cylindrical housing having a top opening to receive material for reduction within said housing and a drain adjacent the lower end thereof to carry away said material reduced; a transverse barrier in said housing to form a comminuting chamber therein immediately beneath said opening, said barrier being perforated and having an upper surface of revolution; a diametrically positioned cutter member fixed in said chamber and spaced above said barrier surface, said fixed cutter member having depending spaced teeth thereon; a vertical drive shaft journaled adjacent an upper end thereof in said barrier and adjacent a lower end in said housing; a movable cutter member fixed to the upper end of said drive shaft for rotation therewith and diametrically disposed across said chamber between said barrier and fixed cutter member, said movable cutter member having at least one lower cutting edge in sliding contact with said barrier whereby to shear material passing through said barrier perforations, and having upstanding teeth thereon intermeshed with said fixed cutter teeth whereby rotation of said drive shaft comminutes material between said fixed and movable teeth; a pinion connected to said drive shaft adjacent a lower end thereof; an expansible chamber reciprocating water motor connected to a source of water under pressure to operate said motor; and a rack connected to said motor to be axially reciprocated thereby, said rack being meshed with said pinion to drive said movable cutter.

4. The construction of claim 3 further characterized by having an overload clutch interposed in the connection between said pinion and shaft, said clutch being adapted to slip at a predetermined overload torque on said shaft to prevent damage to said cutters if they become jammed.

5. In a disposal unit of the class described: a housing having an opening to receive material for reduction within said housing, and a drain to carry away said material reduced; a perforated barrier in said housing between said opening and drain to divide said housing into two chambers; one of which is a comminuting chamber adjacent said opening; a stationary cutter member fixed in said comminuting chamber and spaced from said barrier, said stationary cutter member having spaced teeth projecting toward said barrier; a movable cutter member positioned between said barrier and fixed cutter member, said movable cutter member having a cutting edge in sliding engagement with the adjacent surface of said barrier to shear fibrous material entering perforations in said barrier, and said movable member having spaced teeth intermeshed with said fixed member teeth to comminute material in said chamber; and motor means positioned outside of said housing and mechanically connected to said movable member to move the latter whereby to comminute material in said chamber and shear material passing through said perforations.

6. In a disposal unit of the class described: a housing having an opening to receive material for reduction Within said housing, and a drain to carry away said material reduced; a perforated barrier in said housing between said opening and drain to divide said housing into two chambers, one of which is a comminuting chamber adjacent said opening; a stationary cutter member fixed in said comminuting chamber and spaced from said barrier, said stationary cutter member having spaced teeth projecting toward said barrier; a movable cutter member positioned between said barrier and fixed cutter member, said movable cutter member having a cutting edge in sliding engagement with the adjacent surface of said barrier to shear fibrous material entering perforations in said barrier, and said movable member having spaced teeth intermeshed with said fixed member teeth to comminute material in said chamber; and an expansible chamber water motor connected to a source of water to operate said motor, mechanically connected to said movable member to move the same to comminute material in said chamber and shear material passing through said perforations, and having a passageway to discharge exhaust water from said motor into said chamber to flush said comminuted material through said perforations.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,174,656 Beckwith Mar. 7, 1916 1,274,588 Purpura Aug. 6, 1918 1,583,048 Karpinsky et al May 4, 1926 2,012,680 Hammes Aug. 27, 1935 2,044,548 Schwennker June 16, 1936 2,044,564 Carter June 16, 1936 2,244,402 Powers June 3, 1941 2,295,880 Valois et a1. Sept. 15, 1942 2,305,935 Thom Dec. 22, 1942 2,431,161 Bjorklund Nov. 18, 1947 2,468,613 Bjorklund Apr. 26, 1949 2,508,583 Smith May 23, 1950 

